---
title:  Basic Shell Features and Command-Line Usage
---

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The `gfsh` utility provides useful features for a shell environment, including command auto-complete, preserved command history, and delimiting of multi-line commands. Context-sensitive help is available by command and by topic.

<a id="concept_45D28CC9710C4EAFB6EECFA0D651D439__section_A7A871DBD8C7464A80CEB007798E5AE7"></a>

**To view a list of available gfsh commands, press Tab at an empty prompt.**

The list of commands you see depends on whether you are connected to a Geode distributed system. If you are not connected, you see a list of local commands that are available.

**Use the hint command to get information on a particular topic.**

The hint command displays a one-line description and associated commands for a specified topic. For example, **hint data** returns a description of the data topic and all the possible actions available for data:

``` pre
gfsh>hint data
User data as stored in regions of the GemFire distributed system.

create index  : Create an index that can be used when executing queries.
destroy index : Destroy/Remove the specified index.
export data   : Export user data from a region to a file.
get           : Display an entry in a region. If using a region whose key and value classes have been set, then specifying --key-class and --value-class is unnecessary.
import data   : Import user data from a file to a region.
list indexes  : Display the list of indexes created for all members.
locate entry  : Identifies the location, including host, member and region, of entries that have the specified key.
put           : Add/Update an entry in a region. If using a region whose key and value classes have been set, then specifying --key-class and --value-class is unnecessary.
query         : Run the specified OQL query as a single quoted string and display the results in one or more pages. Limit will default to the value stored in the "APP_FETCH_SIZE" variable. Page size will default to the value stored in the "APP_COLLECTION_LIMIT" variable.
rebalance     : Rebalance partitioned regions. The default is for all partitioned regions to be rebalanced.
remove        : Remove an entry from a region. If using a region whose key class has been set, then specifying --key-class is unnecessary.
```

To view a list of hint topics, type `hint`.

**Use the help command to get information on a particular command.**

Depending on the command, typing `help <command-name>` displays usage information for that particular command or a list of commands related to the command.

For example, type `help start` to display a list of start commands
with short descriptions.
The descriptions indicate whether the command is available,
and depend on the connection status of `gfsh`.
The following example assumes `gfsh` is not currently connected
(via connection to a JMX Manager node),
so some start commands are unavailable.

``` pre
gfsh>help start
start gateway-receiver (Not Available)
    Start the Gateway Receiver on a member or members.
start gateway-sender (Not Available)
    Start the Gateway Sender on a member or members.
start jconsole (Available)
    Start the JDK's JConsole tool in a separate process. JConsole will be
    launched, but connecting to GemFire must be done manually.
start jvisualvm (Available)
    Start the JDK's Java VisualVM (jvisualvm) tool in a separate process. Java
    VisualVM will be launched, but connecting to GemFire must be done manually.
start locator (Available)
    Start a Locator.
start pulse (Available)
    Open a new window in the default Web browser with the URL for the Pulse
    application.
start server (Available)
    Start a GemFire Cache Server.
```

**Use the Tab key to auto-complete a command or trigger possible completions.**

Use the Tab key after entering a partial command to trigger
auto-completion of the command or a list of possible command completions.
For example, hitting Tab after typing `hint` displays all available topics:

``` pre
gfsh>hint

Configuration           Data                    Debug-Utility
Disk Store              Function Execution      GFSH
GemFire                 Help                    JMX
Lifecycle               Locator                 Management-Monitoring
Manager                 Region                  Server
Statistics
```

Hitting tab after typing `hint d` displays the topics available that begin with 'd':

``` pre
gfsh>hint d

data            debug-Utility   disk Store
```

Auto-completion also supplies available parameters and arguments to commands; for example, hitting tab after typing `start` will list all the processes that can be started.

``` pre
gfsh>start

start data-browser   start jconsole       start jvisualvm
start locator        start pulse          start server
```

Hitting tab after `start locator` will populate the required `--name` parameter after the command.

**Access command history with the Up arrow.**

Access a command in your shell history by scrolling through previous commands with the Up arrow.

**Delimit multi-line commands with a backslash.**

When entering long commands, you can break the command line up
by using the backslash character ('\\') as a delimiter. For example:

``` pre
gfsh>create region --name=region1 \
--type=REPLICATE_PERSISTENT \
--cache-writer=org.apache.geode.examples.MyCacheWriter \
--group=Group1 --disk-store=DiskStore1
```

**Enclose strings that contain spaces or commas with single or double quotes**

When you execute gfsh commands in the gfsh command shell,
enclose any strings that contain spaces or commas in single quotes. For example:

``` pre
gfsh>start locator --name='locator 1'
```

``` pre
start locator --name=locator1 --port=9009 --mcast-port=0\
 --J='-Dgemfire.remote-locators=192.0.2.0[9009],192.0.2.1[9009]'
```

When you execute multiple gfsh commands in a single line from the operating system shell, enclose the gfsh commands in double quotes. Within the double quotes, enclose any strings that contain spaces or commas with single quotes. For example:

``` pre
$ gfsh -e "start locator --name='locator 1'" -e "start server --name=server1"
```
